Check
by Glimare
Summary: Fuwa Sho has requested the talents of Kyoko and Ren for his next PV. They said no, the president said yes, so they're doing this under protest. Behind Kyoko's back a chess game is played out, one that could change people's lives forever. Or not. It's hard to tell when they keep putting each other in check. T for safety.
1. 1 - The Offer

**_Disclaimer_****_:_**How on earth could I own Skip Beat!? seriously?! walk away lawyer man! no profits being made here.

This was an idea I got yesterday and it's just so much fun I had to start it. Title is a chess move, but not the last one. Enjoy!

* * *

**_Check_**

**1 - The Offer**

Mogami Kyoko was not that hard to please. If a person took care of themselves, worked hard, and gave her friendly compliments, they could make her smile. If they went along with her fairy fantasies, she became the brightest thing they ever saw. Considering her feelings like this really helped her become the nicest person they could know.

Tsuruga Ren was quite similarly easy to get along with. Like her, all he needed was people who worked hard at their jobs, treated everyone with respect, and work to keep himself busy. Having Kyoko nearby smiling also made him glow, especially if she said or did something he found particularly charming. He was usually the nicest gentleman in the business, which gained him a lot of fans rather quickly.

Unfortunately the nicest people in the world were also the scariest when mad. Both Yashiro and Sawara thought the world was going to end when the two of them were offered the same job. Kyoko was glaring menacingly while trying to smile, but Ren had that shining, sweet, ready-to-kill smile on his face. They couldn't decide which was worse.

"I'm sorry..." Kyoko started, her demons swirling around her. "Care to repeat that?"

Sawara choked back his anxiety, exchanging worried glances with the manager almost hiding behind his charge nearby. Yashiro was so terrified he was useless. "Well... since you did such a good job with Fuwa Sho's Prisoner PV, Queen Records has asked you perform in his next one. With Tsuruga-san as your co-star."

"Was this Queen Record's request, or his?" Ren was clearly controlling himself with that smile of his, but it still terrified him. What was it about Fuwa Sho that got such strong reactions from these two, usually friendly, people?

"Queen Records..."

"May I see the script?" With his smile and the grating of Kyoko's teeth, Sawara shakily couldn't help but to hand over the offer completely to the large man. At least he was being professional about it.

"I don't care what the script is! I'm not doing anything with that idiot ever again!" Kyoko wasn't. She practically exploded as she shouted at him. Wasn't she a fan of his? Why was she was she so against this? Turning on her heel, she whipped her bag over her shoulder and marched away to her section's room, forcing Sawara to chase after her.

"But it's a non-bullying role! A fantasy adventure!"

"I DON'T CARE!"

"You get to play a princess!"

"STILL NOT CARING!"

"Mogami-san!" She didn't give him an inch, slamming the door behind her as she vanished from the office entirely. Sawara sighed heavily, giving up the chase and turning back to the people who remained being professional. "Seriously... I don't understand her..."

"She and Fuwa have a history," Ren stated simply, his shining smile gone as he finished glossing over the script. His temper had cooled some, but he was easily still tense with the offer in his hands. "It's actually better if they no longer meet up. I take it she was meant to be the lead female in this?"

He nodded. "She specifically was requested by the director, saying she worked wonderfully with Fuwa-san before and brought out the best from him. Apparently they kept arguing over who the antagonist would be-"

"And I was selected." The actor snapped the folder shut, then brought back the smile from before, though not as intense. "I'm afraid I too must decline. Though I enjoy working with Mogami-san, I'm afraid things will go too far in the final scenes if I participate. Fuwa is not a professional actor and I doubt he has much control with swordplay. He might accidentally kill me."

"EH?!" Yashiro gaped at him before taking the folder and taking a look through it himself. "That's in here?!"

"Yes." Ren was having a hard time smiling at the idea. "With the woman they are fighting over flying to the hero's side at the antagonist's death. 'Spoils to the Victor' is a rather interesting title, don't you think?"

"That little..." Now the manager was shaking in rage over the PV concept. Really, what was it about Fuwa Sho that got these reactions from these people?

Sighing heavily, Sawara gave in. "Fine... I'll call them up and say we're sorry but must decline."

"I'm sorry for all the trouble we're causing," Ren stated, the menace leaving his aura as he apologized to the middle man. He didn't need the stress they were causing, but this was inevitable. Excusing themselves for another shoot, the 'dynamic duo' left his office and allowed the man to get to his unpleasant duties.

Course his first duty was something he never thought he would ever do. Sighing heavily, Sawara picked up his phone to an internal line. "I'm sorry to disturb your day sir, but you told me to report when Tsuruga-san refused a role. ... Yes President Takarada, he did. He and Mogami-san."

* * *

Kyoko was crying and pounding her fist hard against the desk in the Love Me room as she went over again and again her actions in Sawara-san's office. She and Tsuruga-san were told to come in together for a job offer and she was excited. She wanted to work with him again so much! To prove she was a capable actress to him and all the world! To be able to see him more often with his busy schedule!

And it had to be for stupid Shoutaro's PV?! That last one was a nightmare! Sure it landed her a really good role with _Dark Moon_ later, but she _hated_ that guy! Couldn't that sink into people's heads already?! She hated him and didn't want to see him again until she had several prestigious acting awards to rub in his face! The role felt like a trap, one she was not going to fall into. That last one he set was almost impossible to get out of.

Why did she make such a stupid promise to that guy anyway?! Kyoko's only solace was that Tsuruga Ren wasn't the man's real name. Course Shoutaro didn't know that, and he also didn't know the man showed his true self to her very often. That man could be scary, childish, comforting, and heartbroken, but she had a feeling 'Tsuruga Ren' wasn't supposed to let all of that show. The only reason she didn't call him something other than that was because she didn't know what else to call him. When she did know... if he ever told her... she was sure to change titles.

Either way, it was an escape from one trap. One name change was all she needed to find peace from that. This PV felt like it would suck her into some devious invention she could not escape from, and it would hurt Tsuruga-san deeply. She wasn't sure why the man disliked her enemy so much (she remembered Cain's reaction that one night _very_ well) but she knew why Shoutaro hated him. The childish idiot wanted the position he had in the entertainment world and would do anything he could to destroy him. If he learned of his 'other self' who was released when he became violent, he may very well destroy the man she loved.

She had to foil those plans her hated enemy had and keep Tsuruga-san safe, no matter what. He could not lose, to himself or Shoutaro. That was why she refused to do the PV. For his sake along with her own. She still hated the idiot after all.

"Mogami-kun?"

Kyoko looked up from her hunched over position on the desk, only for her eyes to see a far too close face in Arab garbs looking straight at her. "The president has a message for you."

"KYAAAA!" Instantly she leapt away from the far too close man and back into the lockers. She didn't know what scared her more: the man's closeness or what he said. Either way, whatever the message was, it definitely couldn't be good.

* * *

Ren glared at the president over the coffee table, not trying to keep up appearances for a second. Yashiro wasn't in the room and neither was anyone else. Here he could be his true, highly displeased, self. "I said I wasn't going to do it. And that's final."

Taking a long drag from his cigar, Lory eyed the young man critically. "My my my... that sounds a lot like a certain young man I knew eight years ago. Refusing roles like a bratty child."

Feather's ruffled, he looked away momentarily as he chewed over his words. Kuon's attitude was coming out a little more than he wanted, but Fuwa always got on his bad side. He was blacklisted from his life back when they were kids and Kyoko would not stop praising him. Kyoko's problems with him now only reinforced this, and the arrogant brat's attitude every time they met kept making it worse. If it were mere jealousy, he'd shove his pride aside for the job, but it wasn't. Fuwa Sho was almost everything he despised, and he treated the most precious girl he ever knew like a servant then threw her away... "It's not like that."

"Then tell me what this is really about?" The even stare the man gave him would normally make people spill their guts to him, but this was one subject and one person who he could not break that easily. Ren did not look at him, instead focused on tending and relaxing his muscles. This was not something he could talk about anyway.

Blowing out a long stream of smoke, Takarada gave in a little. "I know this has more to do with Mogami-kun and you won't tell me because it's not polite, but her opinions cannot influence what jobs you pick. It's highly unprofessional. There are several actors and producers who don't get along, but work wonderfully together.

"When you finally are acknowledged overseas and enter Hollywood with your head held high, you will run into actors you did not get along with before. And you will have to work with them." His words struck very true chords in Kuon's heart, showing a bit on Ren's face. Several actors who tormented and ridiculed him in the past came to mind easily, and one actress he dreaded seeing again. "If you can't work with those you dislike here, how can you possibly handle those from your past?"

Guilt and pain troubled the man's face, now holding himself for support rather than for control. The president was right. If he were ever to return to the States, how was he going to handle those people? He could hardly stand the idea of working with his rival in love, yet he was nothing like... Fuwa acknowledged his existence and the fact he was a man. To him, he was human and had abilities he competed with. Though their attitude was similar, not once had the two been confused in his mind. Fuwa didn't mix with his childhood trauma, but was a completely different problem.

Professionally, and at the core of things, he knew the president was right. But... "Have you even read the script? What he wants to do?"

"He wants to kill you." The statement came out so easily, it was almost comical. "In front of Mogami-kun. Then have her in his arms."

Ren's face dropped a little with each statement. "Yeah."

"You've died on film before."

"Not by an amateur actor's hand." Now he looked up at his boss, a little annoyed. "He might slip and kill me for real."

"At which point I can guarantee Mogami-kun will take your sword and ram him through." A teasing smile crossed his face. "Probably while crying and screaming at him. You do mean a great deal to her after all."

For a moment Ren dared to hope, his heart lightening by the second. Did the president know something he didn't? But just as he started believing Kyoko may share his feelings, reality hit him and he pouted a little. "Only as her sempai. She'd be avenging my honor as a sense of duty."

Lory chuckled knowingly to himself, slightly sad. "Silly boy..."

"Either way," Ren continued, "it wouldn't be good for her to do this job. She has difficulties whenever he's around."

"She did a rather good job on that other PV," he pointed out. "And it landed her Mio."

"Because she made a rather convincing angel turned demon after killing Fuwa," he stated evenly. It was like a retelling of her life really. Kyoko was originally an angel, and thanks to Fuwa's betrayal, she was capable of being a demon. It was that darkness he made in her everyone wanted her to perform. "And she's had bullying roles ever since."

"This one though will show her ability to play a victim, a delicate lady, and a woman in love." A smirk stayed on his face as he pointed out the benefits. "Who knows what kind of good girl roles she'd get doing this."

"Lots of women can do those kinds of roles," came his weak rebuttal. It could potentially change her image, he could admit that, but Kyoko was a strong actress. It would be harder for her to act weak.

"Plus it'll be a time you could display your darker passions." This caught his attention, looking over to the man in curiosity. Now that he had his attention, the president was going to keep it. "You've only played two antagonistic roles here, and if you count Katsuki, only two dark roles. That is hardly a test of your abilities. You did read the entire script, didn't you?"

Honestly, Ren only glossed through it once since it was just imagery instead of lines. He was trying to find a good reason to reject it. Just because Fuwa was the protagonist wasn't a good enough reason for Sawara. Still, the idea of a darker role had intrigued him. And that look on the president's face was starting to nag at him. What else was in there?

Almost as if he knew what was going on in his head, Lory continued. "The script wasn't written by Fuwa-san you know. He may have written the lyrics, but the rest was by Futonami Seri. You know how she works. There's a good part in the story where the victim and the antagonist are very close."

Interest more than caught, the actor looked at the proposal on the coffee table with indecision. Seri-san was very good at giving everyone adequate screen time without anything being forced. And she wrote well rounded villains. Cautiously he picked it back up and read it in detail, his actor spirit taking control. The president's arguments were defeating his own very easily.

Once he read through every detail, Kuon couldn't help but to smile. Not only could he do this role, but he was sure it would be highly enjoyable, especially if Kyoko was his costar. It was just the scenes where she had to interact with Fuwa that worried him. He was definitely plotting something for her if he insisted she played the victim.

"Interested?" The teasing note in the president's voice pulled him away from the imagery in his head.

"The story's rather good," he admitted, "but I'm still worried about the costars."

"Then you should see this." Looking up from the folder, Ren was surprised to see a screen falling down and the lights going down. A projector turned on with a soft music in the background, music he didn't like. Takarada smirked as he leaned back to watch the show. "You've probably seen Prisoner because of Mogami-kun, but this is Fuwa-san's latest PV. Watch him carefully."

Annoyed at the order, the man closed the folder and did as he was told. As the video went on, he grew bored. The punk fancied himself a vampire this time, saying he was haunted by the memories of his many lives. That brat didn't know the first thing about a hard past and being haunted by it! Bastard didn't show any real pain on the screen, making his lyrics less believable than if he just heard the song. Arrogant twit just wandered about stiffly trying to look cool and tortured, and failed mis-

That was when he saw it, half way through the song. Straightening himself in his seat, Ren listened intently to the lyrics and compared it to what he saw on screen. They didn't match up. Yes, the song was good; he knew enough about music to admit the kid had talent. But his performance?

"You see it don't you?" Lory grinned slightly as the final chorus rang out. "Last year Mogami-kun and Fuwa-san were on the same level. Well, she was slightly higher than him and brought out the best expressions from everyone else. She was the best part of the video. Has he improved at all since then?"

"No..." Fuwa had enough acting abilities to save himself from social problems and to perform before a roaring crowd of fans. He did not have enough to draw his audience into the story and make them believe he was that character. "I think he got worse."

"Mogami-kun is the one who brought out the best in him then," his boss stated evenly. The lights turned back on and the screen flew back up. "I believe Queen Records wants to up the quality of his PVs, so they wanted her to return. Fuwa-san was the one who wanted to use you, insisted actually. You and Mogami-kun are likely the only ones who know why and won't share.

"How do you think it will go if the two of you participate in Fuwa Sho's PV?"

"Rather poorly." A small, devious smirk, appeared on his lips. "He'll never know what hit him."

"I thought as much." The same smirk appeared on President Takarada's face as he leaned back, challenging him. "If you sign up, I guarantee Mogami-kun's participation. She needs closure, you need to learn to handle those you don't like, and _he_ needs to learn where he stands in the entertainment world. Agreed?"

Ren didn't answer. He just looked at the pen waiting for him on the table, and gave a Kuon-like smirk.

* * *

A/N: You like? I like the idea of Ren having to work with Sho at one point or another, and all the best reasons to force it to happen just came together. Kyoko's got a Love Me job now that she can't like at all too. Ren though cannot be forced into anything, but coerced? you bet. But something's going on in the background. What is it I wonder...

Anywho, this should be fun. Timing is somewhere either between Heel episodes in the future, or after Tragic Marker's done. Either way, it's after Kyoko realizes that she loves Ren, and I had fun revealing the deal's loophole.

Comment, fave, talk to me! This should be lots of fun.


	2. 2 - Some Plot

I don't do multiple disclaimers anymore, FYI. the first one was it. Will do notes here though. =D

Anywho, glad people are picking this up! Yes I know the basic plot is redundant, but there are going to be some new twists so keep watching. I'm gonna do a trick! Some flashbacky things here so sorry if it's a bit boring. You should know that I switch perspectives quite often in my stories, but you can usually tell who is the focal point through how they address or think of others. Kyoko won't have a lot of time presenting things (I think) so her times will be pretty obvious.

So yeah, time to get reading!

* * *

**2 - Some Plot**

Kyoko sat very glumly in her seat behind Yashiro-san, clutching her purse for dear life. Her wore her pink uniform like the last time she went to Queen Records just to make sure the people didn't mistake her a second time, but it didn't help her confidence at all. The president stated this was a Love Me assignment now, and it would branch out her abilities and change her image. She still thought it was a stinking trap.

Having read the script now, she knew it was a trap. Shoutaro was going to _torture_ _her_! Her character just _had_ to be in love with his! And she _had_ to flirt with him on screen! And then she _had_ to run to his side! The lovesick wretch she was going to act out was going to make her sick. That had to be his plan for her. Make her do so many love scenes with him, and drag it out forever.

Worse yet, she had to do all of that in front of the one she actually loved.

'_I really am pathetic..._' Unable to love this assignment, all she could think about was how horrible it was going to be doing things she wished she could do with Tsuruga-san with the man she hated most. And Sebastian had convinced her to go with it, using the president's voice, with the promise of it changing her bullying image and making her grow as an actress. Put that way she couldn't refuse. It didn't matter how she felt. She had to be a professional actress. Tsuruga-san was being a professional about it after all, and he didn't like Shoutaro any more than she did.

"Mogami-san."

"YES!" She stiffened immediately at his voice, coming to attention and forcing herself to not look as glum as she felt. She really didn't want to worry him, and he worried a lot about his shameless kohai.

Tsuruga-san seemed to smother a chuckle before admonishing her. "You really should relax. Think of this as any other job and focus on the story. Once you get into character, you'll be fine."

"Yes..." Sighing heavily, Kyoko tried to agree with him. The role really didn't scare her. It wasn't even the story. It was the costars! She worked opposite Tsuruga-san as Setsuka, and that worked out for both their benefits, but Shoutaro was a completely different matter. There she was the antagonist angel who killed him. If she got to kill him a second time it wouldn't bother her near as much, but this one she was his lover! She just wanted to die.

"Kyoko-chan is pretty much the lead character isn't she?" Yashiro-san decided to try and cheer her up, "And you'll be a princess! Isn't that wonderful?"

"Yeah... wonderful..." Shoutaro was tainting a role she really wanted! Why was she so unlucky?

Yashiro-san looked back to her and started to get depressed too. It looked like nothing could make her happy, and they would be at the studio in ten minutes! "Kyoko-chan-"

"Are you going to let him win?"

Tsuruga-san's statement jerked her out of her dreary thoughts, knowing exactly what he was talking about. This was a threat to her sanity. Kyoko knew exactly how the jerk thought, and for him, it was all about winning. Determination rose in her chest, causing her to shake her head. "Never."

"Then perk up. If we do our jobs right, it'll only take one day and we won't have to see him for work again." This was a one-time thing, they all agreed to this. It was the condition he added to the contract, and for that his kohai was grateful. A smile started to grace her face at the idea. One time more and she'd be done with him.

"How did you manage to perform during that other PV anyway?" It was a thought Yashiro-san had, yet didn't voice until then. "I mean, if you hate him that much, shouldn't that first one been hard?"

"It was." Sighing slightly, she recalled exactly how the Prisoner PV went. "At first I pretended to not be myself just so Shoutaro didn't recognize me. I thought he might fire me on the spot or gloat like crazy if he knew. Moko-san gave me the idea of using it as a stepping stone for my career so I was determined that he could never stop me.

"I convinced him I wasn't me for maybe two hours before he tricked me into revealing myself." She glared venom now at the memory, somewhat scaring the manager in front. "Bastard using Odette against me like that... Poor innocent Odette..."

"Odette? Like Swan Lake?" That caught Tsuruga-san's attention, somehow only curious about that. She sighed longingly.

"It's what I called the Royal Snow cosmetic line when we first came to Tokyo," she explained easily. "They look like glass swans and are so pretty..." Her mind wandered to the happy place of makeup, fairies, and fairy tales, dreaming of the day she bought some for herself. She completely missed the look Yashiro-san and Tsuruga-san shared seconds before she returned to reality.

"Anyway, he thought it'd be funny to see what I could do, so he didn't drop me." Sighing a little, Kyoko recalled what she did to perform so well. "I couldn't quite get into character then, but it wasn't long after Moko-san and I became friends so I just treated Mimori-san as if she was her. Having that idea helped through most of the PV. That is... until I had to kill him."

It was an incident in her acting career that helped her many times later stay in control, particularly with Tsuruga-san. She really understood the power a dark side had over people, and never wanted to fall into that trap again. "I went twenty takes actually trying to kill him with this evil grin on my face. I couldn't act at all. That was when they had me take a break and I tried calling you back then. I needed help focusing somehow..."

"Oh." She blushed a bit, looking downwards, so she didn't see the men's faces. If she had, she'd have seen Tsuruga-san's poker face and the beginning of Yashiro-san's teasing one. Her explanation now made more sense than it did a year ago.

"Moko-san called me back when I couldn't get you and after talking to her, I knew the mind and heart of my angel perfectly. So..." She smiled bashfully. "That was the first time I got completely into character. Angel-san was able to kill the demon threatening her friend's life, then turned into a demon. I didn't even see Shoutaro anymore, just the demon who would kill my friend.

"But then Shoutaro screwed up because I was crying!" She almost laughed at the memory, now cheered up. "We had to do another take to fix _his_ mistake and they insisted I just went through the actions that time. That was lots of fun."

"You really enjoyed killing him, didn't you?" There was a slight smile on Tsuruga-san's face, a sure sign to his two passengers he was controlling himself from outright grinning.

"Yes. Yes I did." That had to be one of the most satisfying acting experiences in her life. Too bad it didn't look like she'd get another now. Tsuruga-san was supposed to die in this one, not Shoutaro.

"And you did a good job with that PV. With minimal experience under your belt." His smile grew into a comforting one they were used to. "Since you managed that a year ago with Kotonami-san's advice and natural talents, I'm certain we can manage this PV without incident. Maybe even make it better than his others. Just focus on the job."

Her energy finally restored, Kyoko's sweetest smile grew onto her face. "Yes!"

It wasn't long after they parked at Queen Record's studio and headed inside. Yashiro-san took the lead so the two actors could talk a little more about their characters. Really the story was quite interesting, and Kyoko's imagination built upon it very quickly. Course her sempai was encouraging her with his input. "Princess Lyra must have been very unhappy in her castle if she wandered away from it that easily."

"I imagine so," he looked up in thought momentarily at the idea. "Princesses do have to fit a certain mold in European fairytales, and if she decided to do anything differently, others would probably try to conform her. Leaving it for a magical lake must have been a relief for her."

Kyoko gasped in realization as a thought struck her. "Maybe... Maybe she didn't really love that prince at all! Maybe she was just conforming to what her parents and the court told her to do! Poor Princess Lyra!"

"In that sense, the demon saved her from that world." A smile grew on his face at the thought, but she didn't notice. Her eyes were forward to follow Yashiro-san and the guide, but seeing everything perfectly in her head instead.

"She was probably happier with the demon than she ever could be with that prince!" The idea was so perfect that she had to go with it. But then the story returned to her. "But... if that's the case... why would she standby and let the prince kill him? And return to him? If she hated it so much, why did she go back?"

"Maybe she was scared?" The thought made her look up at Tsuruga-san in curiosity. He scratched his head as he thought out loud. "Demons can be pretty scary when they want something, and he... clearly wanted her. The demon needs a name."

"James!" It was the first name she could think of that wasn't Cain or Corn, and it fit the fairy tale theme. He nodded his consent easily enough.

"James. James must have done something to scare her." He looked down to her somewhat thoughtful. "Maybe he did something she was not ready for? Like tried to kiss her with a passion of wanting more."

For a moment Kyoko remembered the way Tsuruga-san behaved when they were practicing his Katsuki role in his apartment, particularly when they were on the kitchen floor. He nearly kissed her while being lost in that role! The emperor of the night would certainly scare any pure hearted girl away. It made her freeze up so many times... She looked away, blushing slightly. "Yeah... that'd do it..."

She didn't see the small amounts of guilt on his face when she looked away. "I guess I'll be scaring you quite a bit soon. My apologies in advance."

"No no!" Kyoko instantly threw up her hands to stop him from beating himself up. She didn't realize until Cain how much he kicked himself for his extreme acting. She saw a little of it when he did Katsuki, but Cain was different. Being scared of his own darkness showed her exactly how kind hearted he truly was. "I'll be fine! Really! It's only a role and this time I'll be prepared for it. The emperor of the night will not overpower me!"

"Emperor of the night?" Confusion ruled his features at the comment, bringing a little guilt to her face. Before she had to explain, Yashiro-san opened a door and told them to get inside for the meeting. Tsuruga-san took a step back to guide Kyoko in first, acting like a gentleman like usual. It also gave him a chance to whisper lowly in her ear. "Next time we're alone, I want to know more about this 'emperor of the night'."

Caught between going pale and beet red, she stiffly entered the meeting room to find a seat. Her mind was so consumed with the dread of having to explain one of her titles for him. "Yes sir."

Still stiff, she hardly noticed him guiding her to a chair and sitting down next to her. She didn't see the amusement in his eyes or the curious looks of his manager. She didn't even notice Shoutaro gaping at the two of them coming in on the other side of the table. All she saw was the emperor of the night and trying to think through what could possibly help her explain it. Only when a voice she hadn't heard in near a year spoke did she realize what was going on around her. "It's good to see you again Mogami-san."

"Ah yes!" Getting up, she bowed deeply towards the woman she respected. "Thank you for having me here again Haruki-san. It is good to be working with you again."

"Likewise." Haruki Asami smiled before looking over to Tsuruga-san, some doubt in her eyes. "And you don't really need an introduction, do you Tsuruga Ren?"

"Only to you and your associates." He stood again, smiling his usual smile and ready to bow to her and the rest. She offered her hand before he could, and he took it, smiling. "I look forward to working with you director."

"Haruki Asami," she turned and started introducing some other members of the crew, eventually stopping with a middle aged woman typing furiously on her computer with a pen between her teeth. "And that workaholic is-"

"Futonami Seri." Tsuruga-san smiled broadly as she looked up at him with a bored expression. "We've worked together before. How is the novel going?"

She took her pen out of her mouth to respond in a polite tone. "Still editing. Thank you for your input last time."

"Not a problem. Mogami-san," he turned his attention to his kohai, making a needed introduction, "this is Futonami-san, a very talented screen writer. She's somewhat of a legend in the filming industry."

"It's an honor working with you!" Kyoko got up and bowed again, which somehow made the writer lose interest in the conversation and put her pen in her mouth. For a moment she felt like she offended the woman, but her sempai waved it off.

"Don't mind that. When she's not working on scripts, she's absorbed in writing her books. I think you'd like them. Her last one was about a fairy trying to live in modern New York."

At the word fairy, she lit up. "Really?! Fairies?! In New York?! Is that possible?!"

"Quite possible when there's a fairy ring linking the two realms together in Central Park." Instantaneously the writer lit up, ready to share details about her fantasy world. "All they need is a blue moon, and a couple years ago there were two blue moons within three months of each other! Perfect conditions for a quick visit to the mortal realm and back."

"Amazing!" Stars were starting to shine around the girl, amusing her friends and confusing nearly everyone else. "Can humans get there through fairy rings too?"

"Well-"

"Dear god! There's two of them!" Shoutaro's yell cut them short, calling everyone's attention to the singer at last. Kyoko's good mood plummeted just looking at him. Her grudges were escaping their cage of professionalism with every word he spoke. "Do you ever grow up? HMPH!"

His manager Shoko clamped her hand over his mouth, apologizing immediately for him. "I am so sorry. He's not used to getting up this early and is a little grouchy."

"And this really isn't the best time to discuss the nature of fairies," Tsuruga-san suggested to ease tensions. "Maybe on break?"

"I want your email." With that simple statement Futonami-san ended the conversation and went back to work on her computer. Kyoko grinned broadly, bowing to her graciously as a promise to exchange them as soon as they could.

"Now that we all know each other," Haruki-san started, getting everyone's attention back to the reason they were there, "I believe we should get started discussing the video. Everyone has read the scripted outline?" The actors and musician nodded and confirmed the statement in their own ways. "Good. Mogami-san is going to have the most screen time, so I want her to get her makeup done quickly. I also want to choreograph your fight scene perfectly before either of you are in character, understood?"

"Completely. I look forward to you slaying me Fuwa-san." Tsuruga-san's smile shone brightly, with more challenge than menace. Kyoko was very glad it wasn't aimed at her, but she couldn't for the life of her pity the one it went to. She and Yashiro-san were the only ones who knew the truth behind that smile. The rest actually believed his words.

Shoutaro grinned back, not hiding his challenge in the slightest. He was ready to take him down with everything he had. "So do I."

Kyoko felt she was the only one not looking forward to it. Despite knowing it was a trap, somehow, all she could do was watch in dread. This was not going to go well.

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A/N: Dun dun duuunn! XD so Kyoko found a kindred spirit and later has to explain the emperor of the night thing to ren. He's going to enjoy those scenes. Since Kyoko has a tendency to name things in a European way, and Ren tends to play into her fantasies, I had them discussing things that way. They're so cute together when they're relaxing like that, like their discussion on pruning and gardening! Futonami (no idea what it means, just put kana together, so sorry if its insulting) is kinda an older Japanese version of me and mostly there for this and that's it.

Anyone want to decide what their costumes look like? I have only a rough idea for one of them but please, contribute when asked. Tell me what I'm doing right and wrong, or just what strikes you funny. more reviews make motivation to work on this. Already coming up with a darker Skip Beat idea... =/


	3. 3 - Dress Rehearsals

Special thanks to claraowl for giving ideas on what should be worn. This chapter felt like pulling teeth for a while because of the combat scenes. I hate writing those. Anywho, enjoy!

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**3 -** **Dress Rehearsals**

Ren was honestly relieved when Futonami went with Kyoko to her dressing room. The lady was very much like an aunt who just realized her niece had her interests as well, and excitedly discussed fairies with her. Though he noted the similarities between them like Fuwa had, he thought it was cute. At least he knew those two would enjoy themselves. And Futonami would not meddle in anyone's affairs, unlike the certain managers.

He and Yashiro on the other hand had to follow Haruki to the set where the choreographer was waiting for them. Fuwa and his manager were a little ahead of them, one apologetic while the other was just rude. Honestly if it weren't for the brat's attitude, he wouldn't have minded being second. As it was now though, he just felt it was better to be behind so he could glare holes into the kid's head. Maybe he'd go bald. With how much he bleached his hair, he just might. Miss Woods and his mother would have his hide if he treated his hair so poorly.

A disapproving cough from his manager caught his attention. Yashiro's stern look took him off guard for a second, wondering what he did wrong this time. "Remember what you told Kyoko-chan in the car?"

Took him a moment to remember, but Ren got the message. Just focus on the job. Be professional. And stop glaring at the kid as if you wanted to decapitate him. Tsuruga Ren's image was very important, and no entitled musician should be allowed to get under his skin. Taking a breath, he fixed his face while mentally placing Fuwa into the role of less experienced coworker. It made him annoying, but still workable. "Understood."

Yashiro gave him a small smile before approaching the other manager. "I don't believe we've ever met."

"Neither do I." The lady gave him a nervous smile, clearly feeling the negative energy the two celebrities were giving off. When her eyes met Ren's, he softened his intensity for her sake. She was (he hoped) an innocent in this and he didn't want to frighten her. Thankfully she calmed down a bit and offered her hand. "Shoko Aki."

"Yashiro Yukihito." He shook hers politely, smiling charmingly. Ren resisted showing any interest in his actions, but he couldn't help but wonder what was going through the older man's head.

"I've heard about you." Shoko showed more interest in him now than before. "They say you have an icy glare strong enough to keep waves of fans at bay."

"Icy?" Yashiro looked up to his client, pointing to himself. "Is it really that way?"

Ren shrugged. He'd been on the receiving end of his mocking smiles, not his icy glares. "I'm hardly the one to ask."

"I wish I had that ability." She sighed heavily as she remembered the past. "Sho-chan's fans are mostly younger than me, but they're far too energetic. We always need security at concerts to get us out of there without incident."

"That reminds me of the time Ren went to a-"

"Are you two gonna be comparing manager stories all day?" Fuwa interrupted them, annoyed they were getting chummy. Was this kid going to be like this all day? Thankfully their director had the door open leading to the studio they were using for the fight scene.

"They may as well," Ren murmured, holding back on a shrug. "I have a feeling this is going to take a while."

"Yeah..." Both managers agreed with him, relieved he was trying to be an adult at least. Fuwa seemed to snort before turning and walking inside, attempting to look cool by saying nothing. Instead, the actor was strongly reminded of Kyoko back when they didn't get along and she tried to refuse answering him one time. At least he didn't give him the finger.

Stepping inside, Ren was privately amazed at the set designers and craftsmen who constructed the set so perfectly. In one corner was the royal pavilion the prince and princess would have their scene and in another stood the demon's lair which was the inside of a dark castle. The field where the battle and the lake scenes would take place stood between the two, with fake flowers and trees everywhere. Green screens fell behind each structure, allowing for computers to add blue skies and other magical elements later. Slow running fans and wire harnesses were in place for action sequences, and everything else he'd expect was in place.

"Wow... your people have done an amazing job creating this world Haruki-san." He smiled towards the director as he gave a sincere complement. "It really feels like a fantasy world."

"Why thank you Tsuruga-san." She smiled at his words, though not charmed by his looks. "But this must be nothing new to you."

"Quite the contrary," he laughed lightly. "I haven't had any opportunities to do a fantasy role yet. Though I have been branching out lately, this kind of set is new to me. Thank you so much for this opportunity to test my acting skills."

"Even though you're going to die?" The woman seemed rather uncomfortable with all the flattery, which only made him curious as to why. Why were the people here holding back around him when they clearly were just doing their jobs?

"Why would that make a difference?" Ren pointed out the obvious to which his manager nodded. "Several actors have gained awards for their death scenes. Being able to pull it off would be a great achievement for me. I only hope I can meet your expectations."

"Hey old guy!" Fuwa's voice took away some of the good mood he was desperately trying to maintain. It's just a job. Just a job. "Quit flirting and get your butt over here! We've got your death scene to plan out!"

Taking a deep breath, the actor calmed down Kuon's need to hurt the kid and forced a smile in place. Bowing slightly to the director, he turned and started walking to the annoying kid. Old guy? Really? Looking over the brat, he debated how he was going to fight him in a few minutes. He took the second foil a prop person had for him, gave his thanks, then stepped onto the fake field they made for them. "You do realize that I'm only three years older than you Fuwa-san."

"You sure don't look it." Carelessly the kid whipped his foil around, worrying the instructor nearby. "Bet you'll be too old to work before you turn forty."

Ren struggled to suppress a laugh, coming out as a near snort as he thought of his parents. His dad looked like he was still thirty, and his mom hadn't aged since she turned eighteen. They were in their mid-twenties when they had him. He doubted he'd age much in the next twenty or thirty years, and if he kept his health, he would age very well indeed. His grandfather sure had.

"If you think so..." He nearly stopped mid-sentence when the actor saw the way the kid was whipping around his foil. Whipping it around like a stupid kid. Glaring slightly, he forgot manners and pointed to the sword. "You're holding it wrong."

"Huh?" Glaring annoyance back, Fuwa stilled his hand for a minute.

"The foil. You're keeping your finger aligned with the edge instead of shaking hands with it. Holding a light sword is like using a racket. Hold it like that."

"Shaddap!" The musician snapped at him, more than a little annoyed. "What do you know about swords anyway?! You've never done anything like this!"

"I haven't performed in a fantasy story," Ren corrected, "but I do know how to wield weapons, including swords. It's standard acting education at LME. Even Mogami-san would be able to see you're holding it wrong."

"He's right," the instructor stated evenly, sighing a bit. "If you continue to hold it like that, you could break your fingers or lose hold of your sword."

Glaring between the two, Fuwa adjusted his grip accordingly. The actor smirked admittingly as he watched the kid seriously try to learn the basics of fencing. At least he was taking his job seriously. He could work with that. He didn't have quite the same work ethic Kyoko had, but he did know when to listen to others; just not him.

Ren waited patiently for the instructor/choreographer to finish his lesson so he could be useful, by balancing the foil on different parts of his body. It was a little boring really, but somewhat entertaining to him. He heard the shutters of several cameras, ignoring them, the flashes, and the giggles that came with it, far too used to the experience to care anymore. Even when he was just Kuu Hizuri's son in LA he was getting his picture taken without warning. For him, this was a normal occurrence.

But the fuming glares he felt from Fuwa shortly after were new. He looked over to the kid, somewhat bored, and wondered what his problem was. Celebrities got their photos taken all the time for breathing in public. Wasn't he used to it by now too? "Is something the matter?"

"Why are you goofing around?" The musician's head must have been full or more holes than that guy from Tragic Marker.

"This isn't really goofing... I already know how to fence," he repeated, mentally adding on a list of other combat skills he acquired before coming to Japan. "So I'm waiting for choreographing instructions. Are you done?"

"I think he'll learn better from hands-on training," the instructor stated, looking to him. "Fifteen minute duel?"

"Rules?" Neither of the young men could resist smirking at the idea. A standard set were given to keep them from injuring each other or making a mess of their clothes. "Well then," Ren saluted Fuwa with his foil, "an guard."

Taking that as the signal, Fuwa lunged forward, reckless and unrefined. His sword was easily swatted away, his movements sidestepped. A playful smile tugged at Ren's lips at how the kid easily flustered. He didn't bother keeping his stance in the slightest, and bad form made for messy moves. While Fuwa kept diving and swiping foolishly, Ren gracefully countered, parried, and sidestepped his every attempt to 'slay' him. It was rather embarrassing on the singer's part. Ren looked once to Yashiro to see if he was recording this for later. Sadly he wasn't, but he was smiling along.

Others were shouting instructions to Fuwa so he would stop embarrassing himself. "Tuck your elbow in! Remember balance! Use your wrist! Stop lunging! It's not about power! It's about finesse! For pity's sake, stop attacking angry! No wonder he's making a fool out of you."

"I'm hardly doing anything," Ren countered at the last one. Thus far he hadn't attempted to make a single blow, though there were several openings. He was having too much fun letting the brat act foolishly. He raised an eyebrow to him, chiding him like he would a child. "I would listen to them if I were you. Your footing is weak and your swings-"

"Shut up!" This wild swing and outburst sent him flying at the man, who dodged easily then slapped his foil against his buttocks to teach him a lesson. "Hey!"

"Calm down and use your head." Ren expertly leaned on the foil as if it were a cane, mocking him while pointing out the obvious. "If you can't master your emotions and movements in a mock duel, how will you manage to convincingly kill me in the final act? I can only do so much."

"Who died and made you king?!" Ren didn't bother acknowledging that one with an answer. He let the other adults in the room remind him who asked for the seasoned entertainer to join them that day. Though many of them probably knew, as he did, that Tsuruga Ren was only asked for because Fuwa wanted to kill him and get Kyoko back, they were professionals and could put personal feelings aside for the job. It was about time he grew up too. Chastened, the kid struggled to put his overeager feelings away for now. "Fine fine fine... I'll behave. But no more cheap shots like that last one!"

"If you don't expose your back, there won't be a chance for one." Once again Ren settled himself into position, letting the less experienced fighter take the lead. Calmer this time around, Fuwa tucked in his elbow, turned his forearm, and was far less wild with his movements, following people's instructions at last. The intense, focused look on his face seemed very familiar to the actor, making him think about other things as their blades clashed.

Soon enough the instructor called the fight to a close, allowing them to get a drink and pat down what sweat they accumulated. Yashiro smirked to himself as he handed over Ren's mineral water. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself."

He shrugged, falling a little into his old habits. Been happening a lot lately... "I don't get to fence very often. Even with an amateur."

"Think you can make him look good on film?"

"I'll do what I can to follow the script convincingly." The actor looked to the lights high above, already guessing the results of their day. Well, no matter what happened, they were still getting paid.

"Ready for round two old man?" Fuwa's voice took him out of his thoughts and back to work. He sighed heavily before pointing out his clearly faulty reasoning.

"Really Fuwa-san, I'm twenty-one. If I'm an old man," he gave a cursory glance to the fine older women nearby him, "what does that make everyone else?"

Sensing he was in hot water, the kid refined his comment before the much older ladies struck back. "Didn't you know women are timeless, ageless beings? They'll never be old and always beautiful."

'_Smooth._' Ren pretty much tipped his hat to the quick save, not that surprised he was a womanizer. Kuon was an unconscious flirt since the day he was born. So was his dad. This kid did it entirely on purpose, except with Kyoko. "Too true. I'm sorry Yashiro; apparently you're now an old man."

He gave his manager a pat on the shoulder, somewhat joking while making his point. Yashiro played his part perfectly, not in the slightest amused. "Don't you have a death to fake?"

"Indeed I do. Shall we?" Being as cordial as possible, Ren made his way back to the stage, reading his foil yet again. Fuwa soon joined him, more in control than he expected. The brat was learning. Maybe the 'duel' and stern talking to had helped. They looked to the instructor to tell them what to do, and things finally went smoothly. After what had to be twenty minutes of planned fighting (which would be sped up during editing to make it look more intense), they finally brought up the killing blow.

"The demon will have to be caught off guard for a moment, then get slashed across the chest," the director told them. "We'll have blood packs under the shirt, but it'll have to be torn on stage. It'd really help if you got that scene in one take."

"Understood." The success of this scene depended on the narrow space between Fuwa's sword and his skin. So long as he dodged just enough to not actually get hurt, everything would go fine. Hopefully the musician wasn't actually going to kill him and continue fighting when he took the blow. "Wouldn't want to put any more stress on the costume department after all."

"Yes..." Haruki looked away for a moment, likely remembering the budget. That cringe only came with money. "We already have enough issues covering the costumes this time. Half the set is reusable, but the rest..."

"Then one take it will be." Ren looked back over to Fuwa, coming with a simple plan of action. "When I look over to Mogami-san watching the duel, that will be your opening."

"How will I-"

"It'll be obvious." He motioned to the director to take the location the princess would be standing during the fight. "If you would please stand in for her, we can demonstrate how that will go."

"Okay..." She stood where he motioned and smiled, somewhat impressed by their professionalism. Both men got into position, waiting for their cues. "And... Action!"

Instantly Fuwa lunged forward, slashing quickly to take out his enemy. Ren parried , glaring intently back at his opponent. They clashed for a minute or so, seemingly ready to kill each other, but then Ren tossed aside Fuwa's blade more time, just when the director was behind his shoulder. Imagining it was Kyoko, his glare vaporized as if dazed by the princess who stood there. The demon would not want to see her as scared as she would be right then. He staggered back for a second, making the opening possible. Right on cue, Fuwa slashed what would be the finishing blow and Ren dodged as close to the blade tip as possible before falling backwards to the grassy covered floor below. His sword slipped from his hand as subtle shock and sorrow flooded his dying face. When his body hit the ground, he was as limp as a doll and his face still like a real corpse, stuck in that last expression. His breathing even seemed to stop.

Silence consumed the stage, except for Fuwa's ragged breathing. Even he was gaping at the still man before him, almost believing he was dead. It seemed so real... "Tsu... Tsuruga? Are you-"

"This floor is really comfortable." Ren grinned to himself, breaking character to end the deafening silence. "Usually falling down like that hurts a lot more. Well done."

"PHFT!" Smothered snickers filled the room as he grinned and pushed himself off the floor at long last. Fuwa was still gaping at him in shock while others were recovering. Yashiro just shook his head, amused at his antics. He did this the last time he had to die on camera. It relieved people quickly, which was exactly what he wanted. Making a joke like that also eased his mind.

After all, he was imitating what he saw when Rick died.

"That... was freaky good." The musician's unexpected compliment was still mixed with shock, getting the actor's full attention. He was far too weirded out to criticize or anything, but he was beginning to think again. "Where did you learn to die like that? I just..."

Ren looked away momentarily before putting on a nice smile, hoping to put everyone at ease. "I watched a lot of war movies when I was younger. Documentaries too. You catch people in the process of dying from different wounds through those. Every method of death has their way to die."

"For a second there I thought you actually died."

He could have said something snide and sarcastic about being a professional actor, but he didn't. The memory he used as an example was just too painful to drag out further. He had the method down, that's all that mattered. "I think it's best we don't worry too much about it. This time you managed to not get my clothes. Next time, we'll have to do our best to make it look real."

"Right..."

Ren didn't look at Fuwa as he headed back to his manager, too consumed by his own thoughts. Putting on a smile was all he could do to put people at ease. Rick would prefer it. Taking a deep breath, he preferred to remember the looks on people's faces when they believed he died for a minute. Priceless.

"You really enjoy jerking everybody's chains don't you?" Yashiro had a hard time containing his laughter earlier. His charge shrugged as he took his water again. Shaking his head, the manager gave up asking. "I knew you used to be a trouble maker. Probably drove your parents up the wall."

"Not near as much as they did me. Shouldn't we head over to makeup and costumes?" He looked back the way they came in, wondering just where they would go next. What he saw in the doorway made him miss what was said next.

He'd never get used to it, and he never wanted to.

Standing just inside the studio was the most beautiful princess he'd met to date. A strawberry blond wig with ribbons, waved down the girl's back, gracing and curving around her face in front to bring out her naturally enchanting amber eyes. Her dress was modest, but had its share of lace and frills as it accentuated her every curve. The main dress was a pale pink, matching Princess Rosa around her neck, but with delicate gold threads lining different parts. A soft white corset made her already tiny form seem smaller while pushing her bust upwards. With three quarter sleeves loosening at the forearms and petticoats under her skirt, she almost looked like she came from a Victorian novel. The last touches of jewelry, makeup, crown, and golden slippers were lost on him as he took in the regal way she moved towards them, wearing heels that last year she would have died in.

Kyoko was the most beautiful princess he could ever imagine. Her very presence rendered the man speechless. How did you breathe again?

"Wow..." Fuwa's voice almost broke through his revere. "The makeup and costume people really outdid themselves. Turning such a plain and boring girl into a princess is a real miracle."

Ren felt his blood turn cold and hot at the same time as he slowly turned to the source. What did he just say?

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A/N: uh oh, Sho just said the wrong thing. Sorry if he's a little out of character, but I was trying to make him more likable in this chapter too. Here's he's mostly a brat. Please ignore that he's actually worried about Kyoko's safety for a bit in the manga. Villains, even quasy ones like Sho, are not easy for me. Ren also got to put aside his personal feelings for a while to get the job done. At the very least, Ren's going to gain from all of this. Hope you've liked the death scene. Imagine how Kyoko's gonna react to it. and really, the hardest part about dying is not laughing.

So anyway hope you've liked this! Sho just said the wrong thing right then. Ren's going to make some rather interesting observations that I've seen soon. Please comment! I love hearing from people! ^^V


	4. 4 - Contacting the Demon

More conflict! There's arguments and foreshadowing, so have fun! Man it took a while to get this done... XP

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**4 - Contacting the Demon**

Despite the cutting remark from Fuwa, Kyoko quickly became ecstatic, practically skipping towards the rest of them. "I know right?! They're magical beings no one can compare to! Muse-sama was amazing, but being a princess is beyond the gods!" She sighed dreamily, ignoring her audience as she went off into the magical kingdom. "I can't believe I'm a princess! Princess Lyra of Endwen is such a lucky girl..."

"Princess Lyra of Endwen huh?" Futonami grinned just inside the room. "That sounds pretty good. You're good with names Mogami."

"Thank you Futonami-san!"

"You..." Ren's fist shook in anger as he looked at Fuwa Sho who stubbornly put his chin in the air and pretended he wasn't moved by how Kyoko's appearance. If his words hadn't sounded so familiar and disturbing, he would have passed him off as a boy with a schoolhouse crush, pulling on the girl he liked's hair. But this...

"Wow Kyoko-chan!" Yashiro's voice started to bring him back to the here and now. He was choosing to ignore the comment. "You look gorgeous! I don't know which one's prettier! Your angel or your princess!"

Ren could see the smirk on the musician from the corner of his eye, as if saying, 'see? I make you pretty.' He decided to correct that arrogant idea. "What are you talking about? Mogami-san's always cute. Makeup and clothes only bring out what's already there."

Kyoko seemed to stare at him blankly while others had a mixture of reactions. Some were smirking, others surprised, and one or two annoyed. Soon the girl waved it off as a general gentleman compliment. "No Tsuruga-san. I'm very plain. Nobody looks twice at me on the street, or recognizes me as an actress. I'm not-"

"True beauty comes from self-confidence Mogami-san." It was a universal truth she had to learn. "The kind you have whenever you get into character makes you shine brighter than diamonds. It's why they're all so popular. You really are-"

"An actress!" "STUPID!"

Fuwa and Kyoko's voices both cut him off from saying what he wanted to, annoying him to no end. He was used to how she dodged compliments every now and again, but this brat really needed to shut up. His foot really should go in his mouth and stay there. Ren tried to not obviously glare at the musician as he and Kyoko started arguing. There was no stopping them now.

"Who are you calling stupid, stupid! You never escaped a C average!"

"Taking anything a man says as a compliment makes you stupid! You probably still think being called erotic is a good thing!"

"He was just saying my characters are amazing! He's nothing like that Beagle! So shut up!"

"Amazing?! Ha! You only play bad guys on TV!"

"You know nothing of acting!"

"I know how to do more than one kind of song! That's better than you! You ham-acting soul-sucking changeling!"

"Who are you calling a ham actor?!"

"I think it's about time we got changed, right?" Ren had his shiniest smile up for the world to see seconds before he grabbed Fuwa's collar and somewhat dragged him out of the studio towards the dressing rooms. Everyone was so stunned by his sudden actions that no one stopped them or followed until they were halfway back down the halls to where they split up earlier.

When they turned a corner in the deserted hallway, Kuon almost threw Fuwa against the wall, glaring death upon him. The kid immediately regained his fighting spirit momentarily lost to shock, but it wouldn't help this time. "What the he-!"

In an instant, the actor pinned him against the wall and loomed over him threateningly, an action he'd normally never do in public. "You have no idea do you?"

"Crazy ass actor. What do you-"

"You have no idea how much you hurt her when you threw her away last year." It was all making sense to him now. It wasn't just her inability to accept love, but her entire belief that she was worthy of love that was shattered that day. She couldn't even believe she was beautiful on her own power. And it was all because of this man. "_You_ put that idea in her head that she was plain and boring."

"She was," Fuwa barked back at him, snarling. "It was only after I-"

"Tossed her aside? Crushed her hopes and dreams? Only after she fell apart and had to remake herself that she became interesting?" This arrogant brat... How could she have ever given her heart so freely to him? Kuon wanted so badly to hurt this clueless thing before him for all the damage he did. It was only the weight of his watch that kept him at bay. "A man who does that to a girl has _no right_ to be near her again. And yet you keep coming back to torture her. Do you really think she'll come back to you after all you've done?

"That isn't love. That's conditioning." Ren straightened, still glaring into the bastard's eyes. "If you really had any feelings for her, you'd realize how much your words hurt her, and stop it. You don't have the right Fuwa. Not after all you've done."

Pushing off the wall, Ren forced himself to walk away before he did something he truly regretted. The kid didn't have a clue how much he hurt Kyoko. Yes, his actions drove her towards him, but his continual chase was only hurting her more and more. She needed to heal if she was ever going to be a world class actress... for herself. She didn't have to be with Ren romantically so long as she could be in his sight, happy. He didn't have high expectations for them as a couple from the beginning, but he sure as hell would not let that monster control her every action.

"What do you know?!"

Fuwa's voice stopped him in his steps, making him look over his shoulder impassively. It was all he could do to not run back there and hurt him. The brat was shaking slightly, infuriated. "You don't know the first thing about her! You've known her for a year! I've known her my entire life! I know how she thinks and what to say! No one knows her better than me!"

Looking at the kid, Kuon couldn't help but to smirk knowingly at him. He liked the shocked face the brat made and let him make his own conclusions. A lot could happen in a year, and Tsuruga Ren was Japan's number one bachelor. Fuwa didn't know about Corn or Cain. He didn't know what they talked about on their off hours. Yes, Kuon wasn't a part of sixteen years of her life, but most couples didn't have that much history. It wasn't about the amount of time together, it was the quality of it.

Shaking, the kid made his declaration. "I won't lose! You hear me?! I won't lose to the likes of you! Kyoko's mine!"

Looking forward once more, Ren walked on, controlling himself. Possessive runt just didn't get it. He threw her away. She changed. She wasn't his anymore. And if her trauma continued without healing, she wouldn't be anyone's again.

* * *

"Just what were you two talking about back there?"

Ren glanced over to Yashiro being grumpy nearby as the hairstylist helped him with his wig. His ears were almost dry after they glued on the pointed ends so they wanted to make sure his hair would look good next. Long jet black strands were now being weaved and fitted to perfection on his head. "Pardon?"

"You dragged Fuwa-san away when those two were arguing," the manager explained, very sour after having to deal with the consequences with everyone else after that. "Then I find the two of you in the hallway with him ready to fight and you with your back turned. What exactly did you two talk about?"

The actor couldn't believe this man was asking that right then. He already figured out this place was filled with Fuwa's supporters so discussing their personal battle behind enemy lines was not a good idea. It was best to just ignore it at that moment. Besides, they had a job to do. "Nothing much. Just told him how unprofessional it was to childishly insult a coworker, even if they grew up together."

"Is that all?" Yashiro eyed him dangerously, knowing he was only getting half the story. Nosy manager wanted to know everything about their relationship. It was his favorite form of entertainment.

Ren chose not to answer, instead eyeing a container on the vanity. "So what color eyes am I getting today? Yellow? Red?"

"You'd have to ask makeup." The hairdresser sighed, probably also wanting to know what was going on. She did the last touch with his wig, scattering some of it before his eyes. He heard her shake up a can just as she shielded his eyes. "Try not to breathe for a minute."

Holding his breath, Ren quickly worked something out in his head that'd help him avoid trouble. As soon as the spraying ended, the lady started to peel off the wig. "Okay, that should do it. When everything else is done, I'll be back to finish you off. Kay?"

"Fine by me. Thank you for all your help." He smiled nicely towards her like he did everyone, and it was enough to make her smile back, blushing. She set the wig on a stand and headed out to get the makeup artist to work on the next step. His costume waited for him not too far away and he really had to take advantage of the time away from others. Getting out of his chair, he looked over to his manager. "Mind getting me a drink? Telling off Fuwa took more out of me than I thought it would."

"Ah hah! So you did do more than talk to him! Did you leave any bruises?" Yashiro seemed rather proud of himself for a moment then withered away. "Wait, please tell me you didn't hurt him. That could really hurt Tsuruga Ren's reputation."

"Unless he's susceptible to bruising easily, I doubt it." Ren ran a hand through his hair, sighing momentarily. He had lost his temper, but he somehow managed to contain it before it could do damage. "I really was telling him off for insulting Mogami-san and putting certain thoughts in her head. More forcibly than I should have, but I didn't hit him."

Thrusting him against a wall wasn't hitting... right? Looking once at his manager he could tell he was coming up with scenarios that were far worse than the truth. He had such an imagination... Sighing once again, he looked off in memory. "Do you remember what he said when she came out in costume?"

"I just remember him calling her stupid and a ham-actor." Really, that last insult was the last straw, but both of those ideas came from others, Ren was sure of it. Being stuck in a role wasn't something either of them wanted so it was understandable why they'd be mad. Kyoko used to think of herself as stupid because of her mother, but she had proven herself as smarter than she thought with her high school entrance exams. She was doing really well. And really, where did the soul-sucking changeling come from? He had the nerve to make fun of her fairy tale fantasies and still call her that?

"I was referring to 'boring and plain'." He looked away, to the costume which reminded him of _Labyrinth_ for a moment, letting the words sink in. "We've heard that before."

It took a minute or two for Yashiro to remember, but he did. Kyoko called herself that quite often. Realization finally hit him, showing plainly on his face. "Are you saying... _he_ got her to think that way? Why that little-"

"I don't think he realizes the damage he's done," Ren stated flatly as he started unbuttoning his shirt. "That's what I was telling him in private, that he hurt her so much that he doesn't have the right to chase after her anymore."

"Aren't you considerate." Sarcasm almost dripped from the man's lips, but his answer was a raised eyebrow.

"I was only returning the favor." He hadn't told him about all the times Fuwa tried to shove him off her trail, so the actor let it slide.

"What happened to this just being another job?" The subtle jibe made Ren pause for a moment before answering.

"It still is." Eyes to the floor, the younger man struggled to strengthen his resolve. "I will not let my personal feelings interfere with the job."

"But if Fuwa-san-"

"We only have one scene together for any length of time." That was a blessing and a curse. The climax would be filled with conflict. Too bad their characters' fates were already determined. "The rest of the time one of us will be waiting on the sidelines. If Fuwa has any pride in his work, he won't do anything to sabotage it.

"This is just a job." He looked up at him at last, hanging up his shirt for later use. "Our war waits on the sidelines, away from the cameras."

Sighing a bit, Yashiro gave in. "Keep it that way. I don't want to find one of you in the hospital because you couldn't contain your egos. And poor Kyoko-chan will get caught in the middle..."

Ren squirmed inside at that notion. She didn't deserve to be caught in the middle of their war, even if she was the center of it. His manager gave him a small pat on the back before heading straight to the door. "I'll go get you a drink, and some tea for myself while I'm at it. Lock the door after me before you really change."

Smiling a bit, he thanked his manager and followed him to the dressing room door. His heart skipped for a moment as he locked the door and finally put his mini-plan in action. He really wasn't thirsty; he just needed the room cleared before he changed his contacts. The case he palmed from a secret pocket of his luggage came into view along with some eye drops. He didn't have a lot of time, so Ren quickly removed his brown lenses, put them away, and opened the second case on the vanity to learn what color his eyes would be.

One look and dread filled him. "_Oh crap._"

They were green.

Wincing internally, Kuon had to think fast. Last time he wore green lenses over his eyes, it was obvious they were fake. Unless these had a special design changing the way his irises looked, it was a very bad idea to wear them. Carefully, he took out one, placed it in his eye, and looked at himself hard in the mirror. One eye looked normal (green), and the other looked like a kid painted him lime green. It was just a normal colored lens. "_Could it have killed you to make them animal-like?_"

Taking it back out, he took a deep breath and rethought what he was going to do. As a professional, he could not let this atrocity be seen. But as an American pretending to be fully Japanese, he couldn't risk exposure. What was he going to do?

Taking in a breath, he tried to remember everything he knew about contacts. Doctors said to not share them with others, so after this they'd be going in the trash. If he took the case with him, no one had to know his eyes were naturally that color. The only one who would be close enough to tell would be Kyoko and the makeup artist anyway, and he could distract them from knowing fairly easily. Coming to a conclusion, Ren snapped the case shut and hid it in his bag with his usual set. Just this once he'd go without them.

Crisis averted and resolved to just toss the green lenses when they were leaving, Ren went back to changing into the demon's clothes. If he wasn't mostly dressed before Yashiro came in, he'd know something was up. As much as he trusted his manager, this was one secret he wasn't ready to give up yet.

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A/N: usually I use italics in ".." for over the phone conversations( '..' are thoughts). here it was all English. Ren has this habit of speaking half his thoughts outloud I've noticed, and since Kuon is coming out more and more often, I thought when he was in private he might mumble to himself in English. And he wants to be in private while changing his contacts. Sho made the demon's eyes green for the green eyed monster so it's pure coincidence. They don't narrow like cats either, which is both good and bad in ren's case. he can't look too unnatural else he'll really scare people. Did a little research on colored contacts but no one answered my question on same colored contacts. XP

And then there's the arguing earlier! Kyoko usually brushes off Sho's compliments as 'so what' facts and dodges Ren's compliments, but also keeps calling herself plain and boring, hurting her self-esteem. when Ren pinpoints who put that idea in her head, there's gonna be hell to pay. Sorry if Sho's a bit OOC, I still haven't figured out how to make him more rounded here yet. 3X I was jsut having fun I guess.

Remember to comment! Next we get to see what the boys are wearing, and if Ren's ruse works.


	5. 5 - Eye of the Beholder

It took a while to get this one just right, plus I have a million other ideas swimming through my head, and homework. XP But here it is! FYI, I love Labyrinth. this was only a mild mention of it, and I don't think it really fits, but... *shrug* oh well. I hate describing things, especially clothes, because I never feel like I can get it right. If anyone wants to draw up what I describe, please do. I'm also on DA, same name.

All that aside, enjoy the chapter!

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**5 - Eye of the Beholder**

Robes and leggings. Why did demons and goblin kings wear that? At least he wasn't covered in glitter and had to sing.

Ren sighed mentally as wardrobe finished adjusting his costume. It was all black and silver with the occasional green stone to match his eyes. A loose, open silk shirt laid over his top, almost showing his bellybutton and clearly hinting his nicely formed abs. The sleeves nearly covered his knuckles, airy and wide in comparison to the bell sleeves he expected with this genre of clothing. They were more like sorcerer's robes than standard sleeves, but the shirt stopped just after the silver sash around his waist. Black leggings (not tights thank heavens) covered his legs and tucked themselves into hard edged riding boots laced to the middle of his calf. Costume had some trouble finding boots that fit him but it complemented his character in the end. The last piece was a vest-like robe with a stiff collar: lined in silver with obscure, ancient European and Arab words sewn into the fabric, its long tails in back made him look like a master of magic. Three thin silver chains kept it on his person, and a number of safety pins no one could see. It was easy to move around in and flowed around him, giving him an unearthly feel, especially with the wig back in place and makeup lightening his skin tone.

Honestly he thought he looked plenty sexy demonic with just that. Now they were adding chains and jewelry to make him seem truly greedy. He was the green eyed monster. Why didn't he see that earlier? Still he chatted merrily with the people putting more metal on him than he could ever think was comfortable. Only thing that seemed to be missing was a sword belt. Wouldn't he need that for the fight scene?

"You'd think so," a short haired woman named Rei told him, grinning, "but you're forgetting this demon's magical. That Henna tattoo on your arm is a spell acting as a sheath. When he wants it-"

"It'll magically appear. Interesting. Can't wait to see how it looks in copy." Ren choked a bit when someone tightened a black web choker around his neck. "Um... bit hard to breathe miss."

"I'm sorry!" The lady he still hadn't learned the name of quickly loosened the choker but still kept it snug. "Is that better Tsuruga-sama?"

'_Sama. Wonderful._' He tried to not grimace as he smiled at the nervous lady. "Much. Is this your first time?" She nodded, turning bright red. A newbie to the business and suddenly helping dress a fairly well known actor; no wonder she was nervous. He gave her a reassuring smile to calm her down. "Just relax. You're doing fine. Actually, I'm rather impressed."

He ruffled the long vest, motioning to the embroidery. "This is a lot of detail. Whoever did all this is rather talented. And to get it done in such a short amount of time based off of recorded measurements and not the actual person is amazing. You two did an amazing job."

Both women flushed at the compliment, but from the corner of his eye, Ren could see the exasperation of his manager. Yashiro was more than used to his constant flow of compliments to the staff he encountered, but it did tend to get taken too far by the women. Being called things like 'sama' was just the start of things going beyond thanks with some of them. If he had a week with the crew, things would calm down. They always did. But as things were... "Thank you Tsuruga-sama..."

"Wow..." They looked back to the director who appeared in the doorway, watching them work. "That looks better than I imagined it. You make a very good looking demon Tsuruga-san."

"Why thank you Haruki-san. But it's really thanks to these ladies and your makeup crew. Your staff is quite talented." Once more the women turned red at all the compliments, but really they had earned it. Actors were praised all the time, even directors and lately CG personnel, but these people were the ones who made their acting truly believable. Without the work of the makeup artists and costume designers, BJ would have been nothing more than a scary person. They made him terrifying. Likewise, he could not convince people he was a demon if they didn't do their jobs so well.

"Yes, they are." She beamed a smile in their direction as she came closer to him, looking him over from all angles. "When we get to the battle, you'll have to change a bit."

"The nude top over there with the blood packs?" Ren inclined his head towards a skin tight shirt not too far off that looked like it would easily fit under the one he was currently wearing. There was a slight rise in the front of it, allowing for fake blood to be stored and easily revealed during the scene.

"So glad I don't have to explain that." Relief flooded her features as she finished circling him. She nodded her approval to the job and motioned for the women to go. "I have dealt with so many musicians and beginners that I feel like a nanny."

The two chuckled at the idea, feeling a little sorry for her, but she was the director. This was her job. "I'm glad my experience can come to good use."

"And your patience." She gave him a thankful smile. "I am so sorry about earlier. Sho-kun isn't always like that. Usually he's a lot more composed while working, but it appears that any time Kyoko-chan is involved, he loses his composure. Same as whenever you're mentioned."

"It's alright," he waved off in hopes of dropping the subject. He really did not want to think about that runt any longer than necessary. It was just a job. "I'm quite used to his attitude, though I really hoped he'd be more professional when working on one of his projects."

"He does act quite childishly," she agreed, "but that's one of the cute things about him."

It was very clear on Yashiro's face that he was thinking the same thing as Ren. '_That's cute?!_'

"He has a lot of potential as a performer," she continued, either ignoring or not noticing the manager's expression. "I want to see him become better, and none of his PVs was better than Prisoner. Kyoko-chan brings out the best in him... on film. He puts forth more effort whenever he's thinking about her, and he needs to work hard if he's going to continue to be the top musician in Japan.

"I don't know the nature of their relationship in the past, but I want to strengthen it to get the best out of him. Can I count on you to help me with that? As one professional to another."

Ren could not believe she was asking him to do this. It felt like someone had punched him in the gut, the wind knocked clear out of him. He became perfectly still, poker face in place, as he struggled to come up with an answer that suited Tsuruga Ren's character. Eventually he found it and smiled politely. "Unfortunately, I am very aware of the nature of their relationship, past and present. Mogami-san is a very important person to me and I will not betray her confidence in this matter. Because of that, I cannot support you in your efforts regarding this.

"I will however ensure this production will come together without any problems. What happens in private will not translate to the job." He smiled sweetly, sealing the deal. "We are professionals after all, and I will not sabotage something so many others have worked hard on for personal reasons."

Roughly it translated into: no, I will not help you get those two together, but I'm not going to ruin the job either. He could be mature about this, so long as it was _just_ _the_ _job_.

Haruki watched him for a minute in silence before smirking at him. "Hiroaki was right. He warned me..." Shaking her head at herself, she headed out. "Understood Tsuruga-san. I'm glad you can be mature about this at least. Though I am curious why you accepted this job."

"A number of reasons." '_Lead one being that the President insisted,_' the actor continued in his head. "But likely the best one is ensuring everything went smoothly. Mogami-san is brilliant when she gets into character, but new roles are difficult for her to start. She hasn't done any romantic roles yet, and she's quite adverse to romance to begin with. Typically when she's stuck, she seeks advice from her friend or myself, so I thought it best for the production to just come along. She's quite professional, but like Fuwa-san, she acts differently whenever he's involved. Like I said, I know their history. I can ensure the filming goes smoothly."

The director watched him for a moment then shrugged, satisfied. "Alright, I get it. I thought Sho-kun's teasing was getting mean too, so I'm glad you stopped it. I'm counting on you to keep things rolling."

"Thank you."

"Hey, is it safe to leave our luggage here?" Yashiro stopped them just before they could leave for the set. Kyoko's bag and clothes were also inside, having used that room earlier. Fuwa had a room set aside for him there so he didn't have to share, but the LME actors had to take turns.

She waved it off dismissively. "I've left my purse all over this place. It'll be fine. We need to get to the set and get the harness ready for your first scene Tsuruga-san."

"Of course." Ren was glad they were finally moving back to work. That was a much safer subject to discuss than those two.

After a moment, Haruki looked up in thought and looked back at them. "Come to think of it, do you have any idea why Kyoko-chan accepted this offer?"

"Well..."

"I didn't."

Seemingly out of nowhere, Kyoko stood just to the side of them, acting like sour Kappa instead of a beautiful weak bodied princess. Gloom hung over her, not looking at any of them in the eye as she bitterly explained her side. "The President ordered me to do this. It's the curse of the pink uniform. That guy can't leave anything alone..."

'_No he can't._' Ren held back an initial smirk and chuckle at how she was stuck in the same position he was, especially when she started muttering almost exactly what Takarada told him: closure, learning to work with people you don't like, breaking out of her image, yada yada yada. She must have gotten a firm lecture not long after he did, but it was turned into an executive order instead of somewhat optional. No wonder she was so upset in the car.

"Huh?" Unfortunately, anyone who hadn't dealt with the eccentric LME president had no idea what she was talking about. "He ordered you to-"

"The President takes special interest in the LoveMe section, trying to help them grow as individuals and actresses through the entertainment industry," he explained quickly. "He gives out assignments that often make them uncomfortable, but nothing dangerous."

"HA!" Though her coworkers agreed with her to a point, Kyoko's brief outburst was hardly appreciated. She stubbornly folded her arms and looked away, pouting like a child.

"Unreasonably dangerous," Ren amended, recalling the danger she could have been in when she first met Cain Heel. That whole timeframe was a dangerous mission, but more for him than her (unless he lost all reason, which went back to why she was there to begin with). With this statement Kyoko's shoulders sagged, giving in. She was still sour for some reason. "Yashiro can explain everything to you later. Is something wrong Mogami-san?"

"Nothing really," she murmured as the manager started talking to the director about the particulars of LME and the LoveMe section. She was in for quite a tale. The princess in front of him pouted to herself, still glaring away from him. "I just couldn't stand waiting in the same room as that _fake prince_ a second longer."

"Ah." Knowing the feeling, he chose not to press it. "My apologies for taking longer to get ready. Prosthetics take longer to set than other kinds of makeup. Did he do anything you didn't like?"

"Breathe."

The comment was so frank and fast, Kuon let out a short laugh, quickly stifled to keep Tsuruga Ren's image in place. He still shook with laughter for a minute or two. "Didn't think he could make that annoying."

"What he does while he breathes is annoying," she stated evenly. "If he couldn't do that, then all the annoying, horrible things he does couldn't happen."

"No argument there. Still..." He looked over her with a smile, trying to get her attention away from the still breathing musician. Even sour and pouting, she looked amazing as a princess. How to get her energy back up... "If he were to suddenly stop breathing, we would be out of the job and all these people's hard work would go to waste."

Kyoko seemed to think about it for a moment before sighing, depressed. "That's true. They did such a good job turning me into a princess, I don't want to disappoint them. Everything looks so magical... I wonder if this is what the fairy kingdom is really like..."

The Kuon from her childhood beamed at her, finally getting what he was describing to a fairy obsessed six year old all those years ago. Yes, this was the 'fairy world' he told her about long ago, completely different from the normal(ish) life she had growing up. It was filled with 'fairies' who could become anyone and play out any story you could imagine. There were so many different kinds out there, but their main goal was the same: to make people happy. And as a prince of this kingdom, it was his privilege to welcome her to it.

Annoyed again, she propped her fists on her hips, glaring back towards the studio they would be performing in. "There's no way there'd be fairies like Shoutaro though. They'd probably take away his wings and make him serve the royal family as a pig boy or something. Better than he deserves really."

"Hm. Quite possibly." The image was so perfect, he couldn't help but smile. He always did love Kyoko's imagination. Still, she had to get away from her sour mood before she was caught on camera. They really shouldn't be badmouthing that guy right then anyway. There was a job to do. "So you came to meet me halfway so you didn't do something you'd regret?"

"Had to." She sighed heavily, trying to return to her professional self. "As much fun as Futonami-san is to talk to, Shoutaro kept butting in. I couldn't stand him! How does Shoko-san ever get him to behave in public?"

Ren knew it had nothing to do with being in public, just him being near Kyoko. How to steer her away from this nasty subject... An idea struck him, took hold, and formed a small smile on his lips. Gently, he reached her hand and pulled it slowly upward. Instantly he had her attention, causing him to speak.

"Well, whatever the reason, I am grateful my princess has come to greet me." Bowing over her hand, he gave it a light kiss, just as a knight should. Each movement was slow and deliberate, likely casting out every thought of Fuwa from her mind. Hopefully. Now bent to her eye level, he looked up to see what her reaction was.

To his surprise, she didn't freeze up in terror like all those other times he any romantic moves. She didn't blush either but it was enough that she wasn't scared of him. Just how much had their time as the Heel Siblings changed her responses to physical contact? For all he knew, she thought he was getting into character instead of flirting in a way her fantasies would appreciate. What was going on behind those amber eyes staring at him?

"Uh... wow..." Kyoko blinked a few times, now with a little pink in her face. Still she stared at him and didn't take her hand away. Then with the frankness of a child, "Your eyes are really pretty."

Stunned, Ren stayed where he was, blinking at her. "What?"

"Ah... it's just..." Awkwardly, she slowly took her hand away, allowing him to straighten. The actress slowly turned red, embarrassed as she tried to explain. "I was just thinking... Your eyes... They're green."

Remembering where they were, Ren put on a disarming smile to hide the subtle fear in his gut. "Yes they are. Colored contacts are amazing things."

"I didn't know they had fairy green though." Contemplative, she kept looking into his eyes, analyzing every part of them. More fear entered him as he recalled her ability to recognize every size and color of a person's body (particularly his) in a second. Corn's eyes were, as she just called it, fairy green. If she made the connection and realized he wasn't wearing contacts... Honestly Kuon dreaded the idea of her finding out the truth on her own. He was still figuring out exactly what order he should explain things and how detailed he should go. If she misinterpreted what he was trying to do and didn't listen to how she helped him, he was sure she'd remove him from her heart forever. If she made the connection now, he was so screwed.

To his utmost surprise, she smiled brightly. "They look really good on you. Almost natural."

"Eh?"

"They really look magical!" Glee came out as she started getting sucked into the PV's story and the fantasy she was building around it. "They're perfect for the all-powerful Demon Lord James! Full of life and nature and magic! No one can confuse him with a mere mortal with those eyes! They're perfect!"

A smile started to grow on his face as his heart grew lighter. "Really?"

"Yeah! They're amazing! I really like them!"

Her adorable cutie-honey smile shone brightly at him, aiming for the killing blow. It was a struggle to not have a dopey love struck smile on Ren's face and hold her tight. Up until that point, she never paid him a compliment about his looks. She mentioned him being the #1 sexiest bachelor in Japan, but that was a fact from a magazine. This was an honest to goodness compliment.

And _he_ was the costar killer?

"Th... Thank you Mogami-san." Somehow she didn't pick up his stutter, but his manager sure did. Looking up momentarily to control himself and not NG himself, he spotted Yashiro's all-knowing smile next to Haruki's slightly surprised face. He was so going to get it later. Coughing lightly, Ren righted himself and gestured towards the set. "We should probably get going. Wouldn't want to hold anyone up."

"Right!" Cheerily, just the way he remembered her when she was six, Kyoko led the way to the stage. Her energy was completely restored, which was good, but Ren felt he needed to do something more. Balance the scales a little.

"Mogami-san."

"Hm?" She turned perfectly to face him, hair and dress fluttering all around her. If only it was on camera...

He smiled lovingly, though not as broadly as he wanted to. "You really are a beautiful princess."

Kyoko froze only for a moment, her cheeks gaining a lovely pink shade, before smiling beautifully. "Thank you! They made Princess Lyra so elegant I only hope my acting can do her justice!"

"A swing and a miss." Yashiro's words as soon as the two ladies were far enough not to hear. That smile on his face was getting very annoying.

"At least I got a full compliment out this time." That was an improvement, even if she still didn't take the praise to heart. Ren really was getting used to the way he dismissed herself, even if he didn't like it. His princess deserved better.

Without his bidding, the actor's lips curled upward into that dopey smile he was resisting earlier. Her first real compliment about his looks... Yashiro took out his notebook and jotted things down, grinning still. "Should I put in an order for 'fairy green' contacts?"

"I'm pretty sure I can handle that on my own." '_She likes my eyes. She likes my eyes._'

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A/N: Few notes here I guess. Someone else pointed out that because Ren's being professional and Sho's being a brat that the crew might side with him. So I had two ladies starting to fall for Ren. I really don't think he likes being put on a pedestal, so being called 'sama' by anyone other than cute Maria irks him. Then with Haruki, I decided that she would be neutral about a lot of it because she's still in the relative dark, but she knows both Sho and Ren like Kyoko through mutual friends. Still she wants Sho to do his best on stage, and that only happens when Kyoko's involved, hence her proposition. I thought Ren gave a good answer and later Yashiro explained the LoveMe section (which Shoko does not understand).

And then we have the cute scene between Ren and Kyoko. His entire intent was to distract her from Sho when he kissed her hand, not to flash those pretty greens at her. Being Kyoko, she denies any connection to Corn because she wants him to be a real fairy and not some boy she played pretend with as a kid. I have plenty of ideas for stories where Ren tells her the truth, but this isn't it. =P spoiler. Either way, Kyoko loves his eyes, and if you look at the manga, she doesn't say anything about his appearance to him, only about his acting. So getting a compliment like that floored him. And of course when he tries to tell her how he sees her, she misses the entire point.

Or does she? :3

Comment please! Theorize! give ideas! Still haven't done Sho's costume so please, fire away!


	6. 6 – The Royal Meeting

Sorry for the delay, but Sho's outfit was really blocking me mentally. Thank you to SetsukaeCain for the right inspiration for this one! Hope you like! I worked on Sho a little more than I planned to, so he's a little less OOC.

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**6 – The Royal Meeting**

Kyoko's euphoria from Tsuruga-san's complement lasted only as long as she didn't see Shoutaro and remembered what she had to do very shortly. Sure he was saying her princess role was beautiful, but that was good enough for her. She knew she alone was rather plain and boring, the perfect canvas for other artisans to work on. Without their talents and the magic of acting, she'd be nothing worth looking at, especially like that.

Still a part of her prayed the compliment was for her and her alone. Her heart felt so much lighter with Tsuruga-san's words in her ears.

Then she got back onto the set and saw a false prince flirting with one of the female technicians, and her annoyance towards him came back in swing. Main reason: he looked way too good as a prince! His hair was dyed to nearly match Corn's color and they gave him deep blue contacts, giving him more of a princely feel than the clothes alone could. A loose white silk shirt with string ties in front was nearly sheer against his skin, showing off his somehow formed muscles (she couldn't remember him ever working out). A red sash wrapped around his stomach, acting as a belt for his brown breeches which left little to the imagination. Calf high black leather boots with a half inch heel stopped him from looking like a pirate, but there were other things labeling him as a prince. A red vest reaching mid-thigh had gold embroidery all throughout it. Gold rings lay on his fingers, many of them with red jewels on them. The last bit of jewelry was the gold necklace looping down to the edge of his loosely open shirt, bearing a medallion with a family crest on it. No crown, but off to the side was a long red and gold cape that would be pinned on for the less intimate scenes. It would make him more princely than any crown ever could.

Everything about this just made her sick. Sure Tsuruga-san looked amazing as a demon lord, but the 'prince' was doing all he could to look like the hero of a fairytail! And he was using Corn's hair too! Tsuruga-san had his eyes and Shoutaro his hair… She was going to have a hard time not thinking about him and his kiss that day.

"Alright! Let's get this show on the road people!" The director clapped her hands to get everyone's attention, including the extras milling in from another doorway. They were all dressed in nice clothes, but duller colors than the main characters so they didn't stand out. As Kyoko recalled from the script, there was a brief scene at the beginning of the story where the princess walked through a crowd and stopped before a king and his son, the prince. It would be their first meeting and she was to kneel before them in acceptance of her betrothal. The entire scene would likely only last a few seconds on film, but it would be worth it to set the stage. "Everyone but the demon to the green room! Scene one starts filming in ten!"

Immediately the hoard of people darted towards where the green screen was on the far side of the studio. Shoutaro said a brief goodbye to the technician before picking up his cape, swinging it around dramatically before putting it on properly. All of it made him look like a beautiful shining prince. Kyoko wanted to gag.

Sighing heavily, she looked back to her sempai now talking with Futonami-san who seemed to be debating something. She could barely hear what they were saying during her moment of indecision. "Ren, really, how many times do I have to say to just call me Seri? It's a lot easier to say than my family name."

"It may be," Tsuruga-san stated with a small laugh, "but it is hardly polite. Especially in introductions."

"Whatever. So, how exactly is that kid going to kill you again?"

"Well…"

Kyoko didn't let herself listen into anymore, satisfied that he was occupied enough to not be her watchdog on the next scene. She really wanted to prove she could do this on her own and the idea of him having to babysit her while on the job was infuriating (yes she heard part of the conversation before. It was hard not to). Though she understood his concern, she wanted to prove him wrong. Revenge wasn't anywhere in her mind at that moment. She could act like a princess in front of that lout! She would do it! She had to!

That was how she convinced herself to make it over to the set far away from the man she loved and before the boy she wanted to strangle again. She waited patiently on the sidelines as Haruki-san told the extras to stand close together on one side of a red carpet and a small deist with two thrones on top. A man in a rich kingly outfit, complete with crown and beard, already stood in his place, but Shoutaro was waiting on the sidelines, seemingly bored. Kyoko waited as well, keeping as many people between them as possible.

Or that was the plan. Before she knew it, the guy was right over her shoulder. "Think you can walk down the red carpet without tripping?"

"Hmph!" Not forgetting their earlier argument when Tsuruga-san was busy about whether or not she could act like a princess, she flipped her hair/wig at him confidently. "Watch and be amazed Shoutaro. I received special training to walk with grace and style."

"My mom did a good job didn't she." That biting statement was too true to rebut, but Kyoko was not about to let him win.

"She laid down the groundwork, but I have improved upon it."

"Look, Kyoko," his voice serious, she gave him her attention, "this scene is where the two first meet, and it's love at first sight. If you're having trouble with it, just try to remember how things were two years-"

"I don't need any help from you with my acting." The nerve of this guy! As if she wanted help with this scene! The part she was terrified of was later, when they were alone on set and they'd be… The thought of it made her cringe. She could handle being presented to a prince, even kneel before him and fake being in love. The rest…

"I'm just trying to-"

"I have plenty of examples to work from in my life," she stated evenly, turning to where the carpet ended so she could get in position. She gave him a cold look before dismissing him entirely. "It's you who's going to have trouble pretending to be in love with someone other than yourself. You've never had an innocent love in your life."

"That's-"

"Sho-kun," Director Haruki cut him off from chasing after her, calling their attention, "it's time to start filming. Stand beside Tomoe-san. Kyoko-san, your position is – oh! Already there! Thank you."

Nodding regally to the woman, Kyoko let herself slip into character, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. Princess Lyra was ready to go. Had she been paying attention to her former love, she might have seen the sad frustration on his face. He wanted to say something more to her, maybe fix something, but work and the girl's stubbornness got in the way. Something was always getting in the way.

"Alright," Haruki-san clapped her hands once again, smiling her approval to everyone. "Everyone's in positions? Good… Cameras ready? Lighting…" She looked up and then to the set. "Perfect. Alright everybody! Ready to roll! Three, two, one, Action!"

* * *

The scene had to be recorded three times, but not because of NGs. Due to the green screen background and the filming of the crowd, they had to move around people and the set to get every angle they needed for the scene. To Asami's delight, Sho and Kyoko performed perfectly! She kept talking about it even after they shooed the extras away and called Tsuruga and his associates to the deist for a quick photo op.

Sho took a little pleasure seeing the man's smile drop a little at the comments.

"It really looks like love at first sight," she praised, pointing out the looks on Kyoko and his faces. Kyoko had blushed and looked down like a lady, smiling slightly after meeting her fiancé's eyes for the first time. She seemed so gentle and caring that he couldn't help but give her the same look.

For once he gave her the same tender smile he had whenever he thought about her good points in private. Many times he was angry because he didn't know what she was doing, but this time… this time all she had was thoughts of him in her head and she was in love with him again. A gentle princess who supported him unconditionally. No doubt everyone would know how much he cared about her just by watching this PV.

"Their expressions are perfect, if only a little off timed."

"Editing will help with that," Tsuruga assured Asami, suddenly irking him.

"I'm surprised with how natural their movements are," the woman kept going, excited. "Kyoko-san's so graceful and fluid, you'd think she had this kind of role before."

"Her movements are a lot like Natsu's, are they?" The glasses wearing manager cocked his head to the side as he commented, now irking the musician. "Though she seems to have Mio's grace…"

"Oh!" Kyoko popped up near them just then, having finished talking to an extra she knew from another job. "I combined Natsu's walk with Mio's grace to get that effect, but had to use some other tricks to not make a sound while walking. Princesses are so graceful, they can't be heard, right?"

"Especially gentle one brought up in a strict environment." Tsuruga looked over to Kyoko, smiling kindly. "You figured out Princess Lyra quite quickly. Well done Mogami-san."

As the girl's face brightened from the praise, Sho crushed the water bottle he was using, more than a little mad. That damn natural! He was just praising the way she walked! What was so great about that?! And who was Natsu? He had to get caught up on what Kyoko was working on lately.

"Sho-chan!" Shoko grabbed his hand crushing the bottle and forced him to look away from the display. This was his moment and the stupid actor had to ruin it with praise about walking?! A monkey could walk that good! Weren't they going to talk more about how she clearly fell in love with him again?! "Seriously, you need to stop doing this…"

"How is any of _that_ professional?" he demanded testily. Back when he was getting dressed, Shoko admonished him strongly about how he talked to Kyoko from then on if he wanted to get her back. And more importantly, how he treated Tsuruga.

"I know you don't like him," she stated evenly as they finished his makeup, "but that is no reason to act unprofessionally. This is just a job to him, and you need to treat it the same. Your image is at stake if you fail."

"I know, I know!" Rubbing his head, he tried to get the image of the smirking actor out of his head. It was like he saying he already won. After that snake made his jab in the hallway, he could not settle down. Just how far had those two gone? Tsuruga had to be experienced, so maybe he already seduced Kyoko and had her in his clutches. Or maybe he was just that good of an actor, making him think they were like that. More than likely that was the case. Damn actor…

"So no more snide comments, no more being a jerk." Her firm glare on him was new but well deserved. "And most of all, if you want to get Kyoko-chan back, you have to be nice to her. Quit arguing like school children and start treating her like the talented woman she is! Calling her a ham actor, plain, boring, and stupid is unacceptable."

"If I call her anything else, she'll deny it." Sho really knew how that girl's mind worked. Ham actor and stupid might be pushing it, but the rest… Remembering both her reaction and Tsuruga's words, he started trying to find new ways to talk to her. Maybe he shouldn't have persisted with the plain/boring comment after all. She certainly wasn't anymore.

"You wanted her as your princess, didn't you?" No comment came from the thinking musician. Sighing, the manager stopped pestering him about that. "At the very least, try not to make yourself into a nasty guy in front of the staff again. Be professional. Futonami might not want to work with you again if you continue like this."

"She's a grown woman," he stated flatly. "How can she like fairies this much?" Actually he was annoyed that Tsuruga knew all about Kyoko's fairy fantasies. How much had she shared with him?

"Do not mess with eccentric writers Sho," Shoko stated evenly. "They get the best awards and get to pick their jobs. One wrong word from her and you could be typecasted, if you ever get an acting job.

"All that aside, watch your mouth."

And that was what he was doing now. Watching his mouth. His small blowup while waiting on the extras and Tsuruga was the last he'd let himself have. From then on, he was going to be courteous and helpful. And to the old-news actor trying to take what was rightfully his, he would be professional.

Then he would kill him. Yeah, that was going to be epic!

"Okay, let's get to the pavilion." Asami clapped and brought everyone's attention to the next scene they were going to play. Sho grinned to himself, getting out of his seat as he thought of what he was going to do next. It was the prince's romantic scene, where he would claim Kyoko's heart before the world at large, and she would see what he could really do for her. His thoughts were thrown off though when he heard the director ask, "Kyoko-san? Are you alright?"

"Ah…" He saw the girl's sudden discomfort and then how she waved it off. "I'm fine, I'm fine! Just a little nervous."

"Why nervous?" Sho smirked knowingly, somewhat baiting the tall actor nearby. "Just follow my lead and you'll be fine. You are a professional actress, right?"

"Hmph!" Taking up his challenge, Kyoko strode forward with more confidence than she had. He knew that'd get her to start working with him. She never backed down from a fight with him. This really would be the time he won over that platform wearing actor. "I'll show you who's professional."

"This scene doesn't include kissing right?" Tsuruga talked to the director directly, barely within earshot.

"Innocent, early love," Asami explained, something that made Sho pout over. "Nothing intimate. This is to show the stark contrast between the prince and the demon."

"Just checking."

Wait, did this mean Tsuruga was planning on kissing Kyoko in their scene?! Glaring down in thought, the musician decided to make sure everyone knew Kyoko was his. A fire lit in his eyes, one that baffled the glaring beauty waiting for him to get there. Smirking, he stopped just short of the building to await orders.

"Alright you two," Asami started, waving a hand around the set. Rose bushes and vines threaded their way around the entire structure, turning it into a fairytale. You could almost see a princess sleeping under its roof. It was the perfect setting for wooing an innocent lady. "Mostly you get to do whatever you want in here. Just use the whole set and act as if you're in love. I especially want to see you two smiling at each other and holding hands. Laughing with each other is good too. And Sho, if you can slip the lyrics into the scene, please do. Several cameras will be circling the set, so take as long you need to set the mood. I want to feel how much you love each other here."

"Ugh…" Kyoko tried to suppress a groan and failed, pinching her brow as if in pain.

"Something the matter Kyoko-san?" They started at her and her troubled face for a moment before she sighed to wave it off.

"I just think I'm going to vomit after this scene."

"Oh come on!" He was not someone to vomit over! How dare she even suggest… Taking a breath, Sho tried to be helpful. "You always loved those old romantic scenes in the movies we watched growing up. Just pretend you're one of those girls and follow my lead!"

"That part isn't hard," Kyoko admitted, then glared a little at him. "It's pretending you're not you that is."

That one stung more than it should have, but he had to put that aside. Just how much did she hate him now? "You managed to do it in the last scene didn't you?" She fell silent at that statement, which settled the argument. "Look, just do what you did before and I'll do the rest."

"That's not helping."

"I have more romantic experience than you do," he stated flatly, knowing he won that argument. "You just get into character and I'll walk you through it. I know how absorbed you can get in your fantasies. You'll be fine!"

"Fine!" Turning in a huff, she walked over to a bench and sat down, folding her arms at first stubbornly before taking several deep breaths. Closing her eyes, she adjusted the way she sat until she was the perfect image of a demure princess awaiting her prince. When she opened her eyes, they knew she was in character. Perfect. "Whenever you are ready, Haruki-san"

"Alright then." The director stepped back from the proper actress and towards the musician, some relief on her face before giving him a stern warning. "This may be your only chance. Don't mess it up."

"Don't worry about us." He gave her a smirk, which didn't seem to settle her down in the slightest. Sho heard her sigh before stepping off set and making sure the cameras were all in place. He heard her go through her usual last minute checks as he chanced a glance at his romantic rival.

Tsuruga had his hands folded over his chest, a blank poker face in place. He was just watching in a controlled manner outside the camera's view, waiting. His manager seemed more anxious than he was, especially when the writer declared she was going off to get popcorn in a loud, chipper voice.

"This is better than cable!" was all he could hear before she vanished gleefully down a hallway. Weirdo.

* * *

A/N: Futonami is very perceptive so she's gonna way whatever I'm thinking on the sidelines. I'm thinking of writing an omake of how she an Ren first met. Interested? do tell. So now Sho's gonna have his scene with Kyoko. Any suggestions on what he does there to screw things up? It's Kyoko's first love scene and I know how to help her with the fallout, but that's about all. Ideas lead to the final product. I really hope I've rounded him out a bit here. Still have a lot to work on for that, but I'm working on it!

As for the kisses question: none on the lips! ^^V this is gonna be fun! Do comment, and read my other fics!


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